1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to grain drying bins and more particularly to grain drying bins utilizing heated air for drying of the grain.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grain drying bins are known wherein heated air is channeled through a floor portion of the bin so as to rise upwardly through the grain stored therein. With such systems, a majority of the grain is stored in portions of the housing which is substantially cylindrical over a given elevational distance. Consequently, the air which is injected through the floor portion must travel upwardly through large quantities of grain before reaching levels having damp grain at the top. Consequently, the drying procedure is time consuming and requires a substantial amount of energy for heating the drying gas.
It is also known to provide grain drying bins which are substantially above ground and consequently require complicated structural configurations for supporting the grain bins.
Finally, in grain bins having a substantially cylindrical overall shape with a floor portion of approximately the same cross-section as upper portions of the bin, it is difficult to unload the grain from the bin in areas at the bottom since the grain tends to become trapped along the periphery of the floor, an area which is not conveniently accessible with the known types of unloading devices such as auger implements.